Ok, so I'm driving back to
Chico yesterday (after attending an all-day advanced course in beautiful downtown
Stockton on
short sales and
foreclosures--it's a sign of the times), intentionally timing my trip so that the hunger pangs would start right about
Yuba City, home of one of my favorite eateries, "
Taste of India." Imagine my surprise when I rolled into the parking lot (where it's nestled in a strip mall next to the The Dollar Store) only to enter a
Twilight-Zone-Meets-Highlights-What's-Wrong-With-This-Picture scene. The sign on the door still read "Taste of India," but below it was a new little tag line, "
Curry in a Hurry!" Below THAT was a cartoon figure of a Texas Longhorn (or what I'm guessing is a Longhorn anyway) emblazoned on a "
Big JOHN'S Grill" sign! Huh. I would never have thought of combining those two cuisines.
Now, I guess Yuba City may not have caught on to the "
Slow Food" movement yet (or maybe the proprietor just couldn't think of another catchy word to rhyme with "curry"). I used to love stopping in at the quaint little place and taking my time enjoying their Vegetarian Feast to the strains of sitar music emanating from the TV where videos of silkily-clad East Indian beauties cavorted. No more. Now I was feeling rushed before I even entered the premises.
Curry in a Hurry! Perhaps not surprisingly, the dining section was entirely bereft of customers. All of the patrons were sitting in the new "saloon" section of Big John's Grill, while some sport or other blared away on the TV. I ordered cafeteria style, hurriedly consumed my meal (still tasty) and beat a hasty (ha! rhymes with tasty!) retreat. Next time I think I'll just do take out...only 45 minutes to Chico.
Laura Burghardt